THE FLEXURAL FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF HONEYCOMB SANDWICH COMPOSITES FOLLOWING
LOW-VELOCITY IMPACTS
Abstract
This study experimentally investigated the flexural fatigue behaviors of
honeycomb sandwich composites subjected to low velocity impact damage by
considering the type and thickness of the face sheet material, the cell
size and the core height parameters. First, the static strength of
undamaged specimens was determined by three-point bending loads, and
calculating their fatigue lives; secondly, the fatigue lives of the
specimens damaged by low velocity impact tests were then determined.
Increasing the face sheet thickness and core height increased the
flexural strength, while increasing the cell size decreased the flexural
strength. Low velocity impact damage decreased the flexural strength and
fatigue lives but increased the damping ratio for all specimens.